A Ban on Food Pornographers at Ko

First, David Chang limited our access to his 12-seat Momofuku Ko by instituting the online only reservation system that one must return to at 10 a.m. every morning for weeks–and be quick with the mouse–in order to even have a chance of reserving a seat.

Now, Mr. Chang won’t even allow us to get a glimpse of this precious food!

Eater reported yesterday that Mr. Chang has banned all cameras inside Ko and Serious Eats followed up by calling up some of New York’s noteworthy restaurateurs to ask them about their policies towards camera-toting restaurant goers.

Mario Batali and Drew Nieporent, founder of the Myriad Restaurant Group that owns Nobu, said that while they don’t stop people from taking photos, they ask guests to be considerate to the diners around them and not disturb them with the repeated flashes.

But! While photos of the food might be discouraged at times, photos of the chef apparently are totally welcomed. After saying that overeager photo snappers may be asked to subside so that the restaurant doesn’t start to feel like a "photo shoot," Mr. Batali said that he in fact poses "with guests for hundreds of photos a year in the resto."

Daniel Boulud’s director of public relations, Georgette Farkas, echoed the others’ attitudes about disturbing flashes, but said that at Mr. Boulud’s many restaurants, they’ll offer to send people photos of the food. Just ask!

Meanwhile, when Serious Eats rang up David Chang for a comment, he said, "It’s just food, eat it."